America Recycles Day 2026 is on Sunday

About America Recycles Day

America Recycles Day focuses on the everyday habits that keep usable materials out of landfills: sorting recyclables correctly, cutting waste in the first place and supporting the market for recycled goods. The US Environmental Protection Agency marks the day each year and notes that the national recycling rate has grown from under 7 percent in 1960 to about 32 percent, with a national goal of 50 percent by 2030.

The idea began in Texas. In 1994 two employees of the state's environmental agency, Kevin Tuerff and Valerie Davis, created Texas Recycles Day and picked November 15 because it fell after Election Day and before the holiday season. After leaving their state jobs, they proposed a national version to the National Recycling Coalition, which adopted it. The first nationwide America Recycles Day took place on November 15, 1997, with the coalition and the EPA holding a White House Conference Center launch that October featuring Vice President Al Gore as honorary chair. At least 40 states took part that first year.

President Bill Clinton issued a proclamation for the day in 1999, and presidential proclamations or messages have marked it in many years since. Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit, has managed and promoted the day since 2009, supporting a network of local events across the country.

Sources: US EPA: America Recycles Day, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation: The History of America Recycles Day (2019, archived), The American Presidency Project: Proclamation 7250, America Recycles Day, 1999. How we check dates.

How to mark America Recycles Day

• Look up exactly what your local curbside program accepts and post the list near your bins.
• Pull plastic bags, batteries and electronics out of the curbside bin and take them to the drop-off points that handle them.
• Rinse containers and keep recyclables loose rather than bagged, unless your program says otherwise.
• Set up a collection drive at work or school for hard-to-recycle items, using a local recycler that accepts them.
• Check labels for recycled content the next time you buy paper, packaging or household goods.
• Tour a local recycling facility or invite someone from your waste department to speak to a class or club.

America Recycles Day dates